Professor Gary Montague
Head of School & Director of Research Centre in Biopharmaceutical & Bioprocessing Technology

  • Email: gary.montague@ncl.ac.uk
  • Telephone: +44 (0) 191 222 7265
  • Address: Biopharmaceutical and Bioprocessing Technology Centre
    School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials
    Newcastle University
    Newcastle upon Tyne
    NE1 7RU
    England

Research Interests

Gary Montague is Professor of Bioprocess Control in the School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials and is Director of the University Research Centre in Biopharmaceutical Bioprocessing. He is working with colleagues in the new Engineering Doctoral Centre in Biopharmaceutical Process Development. His research interests lie in systems engineering, with application to chemical, biochemical and food processes. Areas of speciality include measurement, data interpretation, modelling, control and optimisation. He is a member of the SysMA Research Group, collaorating with Prof Elaine Martin in a broad range of industrially focused research programmes.

Research themes:

Measurement and Analysis

Current Work

Gary collaborates extensively with industry through the Bioprocessing Research activities. The new Engineering Doctoral Centre provides the opportunity to develop industrially collaborative doctoral research projects. Other research projects he is involved with and funded by industry, UK research councils and the European Union provide the opportunity to develop research solutions to complex systems problems arising in chemical and biochemical systems. In addition to this he has a role as the Newcastle University representative on the Britest Technical Committee. Britest is a ‘club’ of the leading Chemical and Pharmaceutical companies and leading Universities, facilitating improved process development and providing a conduit for the exploitation for University based research programmes. Academic collaboration with Prof Paul Sharratt at Singapore Institute for Chemical Engineering Sciences (ICES) has been enhanced recently with both ICES and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology and Education (NIPTE) based at Purdue University joining Britest.

Other key external academic collaborations are with:


  • Prof Nigel Titchener-Hooker at UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering with whom he is developing agent based whole bioprocess modelling strategies.

  • Prof Peter Fryer at Birmingham University School of Chemical Engineering in a TSB funded Zero Emissions funded project on process cleaning.

  • Prof Dennis Kehoe at the AIMES Centre at Liverpool University and Prof Brian McNeil and Dr Linda Harvey at the University of Strathclyde Department of Bioscience working with GlaxoSmithKline within a TSB funded programme to develop tools for bioprocess development in the PAT era.

  • Prof Paul Sharratt (Manchester University, Chemical Engineering), Prof Edman Tsang (Oxford University Chemistry Department) and Dr Kiran Fernandes (York University Business School) in the EPSRC funded 2020 SatNav research programme to identify strategies and tools to assist in process development - from lab scale to production.

Funding


  • EPSRC “Process 2020 Innovation SatVav”, Value to Newcastle University, £440,000. Principal Investigator, E. Martin. Co-Investigator, G. Montague. Newcastle University, Manchester University, Reading University and York University. Companies involved GSK, Johnson Mathey and Robinson Brothers. Awarded January 2007.

  • EPSRC “Can Understanding the Emergent Behaviour of Mixed Culture Systems Aid in Wastewater Treatment System Design and Operation”, Value to Newcastle University, £160,000. Principal Investigator, G. Montague, Co- Investigator, E. Martin, T. Curtis, I. Head and J. Dofling. Awarded January 2007.

  • EPSRC/CIKTN Case Award “Multi-Metric based Decision Making in Whole Process Design” Value to Newcastle University, £80,000. Principal Investigator, G. Montague, Co- Investigator, E. Martin Awarded May 2007.

  • DTI Minimising the Environmental Footprint of FMCG Plant Improved Cleaning Processes, Value to Newcastle University, £482,193. Principal Investigator, E. Martin. Co-Investigator, G. Montague. Newcastle University, Birmingham University and Imperial College. Companies involved Unilever, Cadbury, GSK and Scottish and Newcastle, Bruker, Alfa Lavel, GEA and Ecolab. Awarded September 2006.

  • DTI Succeeding through Innovation. Implementing PAT for successful development of Biopharmaceuticals in the UK. Principal Investigator, G. Montague. Co-Investigator, E. Martin. Value to Newcastle University £398,792. Strathclyde University, Liverpool University and Newcastle University, Company involved, GlaxoSmithKline. Awarded August 2006.

  • KTP with Avecia Biologics “To develop a statistical framework to assist in the progression of bio-process design and process scale-up.” Value to Newcastle University £99,044. Awarded December 2006.

  • EPSRC “Enhancing Manufacturing by Linking Models Derived from Ultra-scale Down and Early Process Data Via an Intelligent Agent.” Value to Newcastle University £456,024 Principal Investigator, J. Glassey, Co-Investigators, G. Montague, M. Willis. Collaboration with UCL Department of Biochemical Engineering., Awarded July 2005

Industrial Relevance

Consultancy

Specialist Expertise
Prof. Gary Montague undertakes consultancy in the area of process and bioprocess systems engineering with particular emphasis on data analysis, modelling, control and optimisation.  He has worked on short term benefits assessment type projects to longer term development and implementation programmes. Recent consultancy activities have focused on the application of Process Analytical Technologies (PAT) for the pharmaceutical sector.

Projects